Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Isn't he just the sweetest? Sunday, the 27th we got up before Church and met Ben and Mary at the Chestnut Cottage for breakfast. It was nummy and the fellowship was great. I am just sooooo blessed with my family! I told Doug, 2 days later that my heart is still so full and warm from the Christmas we had this year!Isaac always has a ready grin! What a little man and how handsome in his tie and vest!Mary and Isaac coloring away. Note to self, Mary likes Coconut lattes. :)Carson with his "serious" look! :)Papa Doug with Matthew.Ben and Casandra coloring away!Casandra looked so gorgeous in her Christmas dress and the hair band that was a joint effort of Mary and Auntie Tracy. The crochet flowers on it that Tracy made were big and bold and just beautiful!

I do enjoy the Cottage when we go back to P.A. It is such a beautiful place to dine and the food is very good. I ordered the Country Lodge breakfast with pumpkin coffee cake. It was so nummy. The coffee cake, Doug and I took home and ate later, there was no room. I love spending time with my family. I wish we lived closer!!!!! It is all about the memories that we create!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

I made snuggies for all the grandkids this year. I was hoping that they would like them. I was wrong - they LOVED them. What a HIT they were! This grammie was so happy to find something that went over so well. I tried hard to find the colors/themes that would work best for them and I think I got it right. This is Delanie above. She loves purple and lime green. Not an easy combination to find. But this fleece has those colors and she loved her jammies so I figured that she would love this! :) And as you can see even though the babies didn't get them, they were shared with them thru out the day and night! :)Everywhere we looked you could see snuggies! Here they are getting ready to snuggie up and watch a video.Snuggie Party! Actually one of the kids mentioned they should have a snuggie party. I know just the mom who will make sure that will happen. Auntie Shelley is all about making memories and traditions!This one was seen all night everywhere with her snuggie! :)It isn't always easy to find the right gift for a teenager! :) This one seemed happy!Keizer is beginning to get into sports and this football snuggie was made with so much love and care for him!Carson is a Huskie fan thru and thru! It was only natural that a Huskie snuggie would fit the bill for him. He hadn't realized that I had made the blankets so he was very impressed later when he heard me talking about making them especially for each one.Maddie LOVES pink and black. Her face lit up like the 4th of July when she saw this in her Christmas bag! And Maddie has "attitude". This snuggie reflects attitude. A perfect match for my lovely young granddaughter! I was thrilled to please her!

My monkey! Isaac is 5 and everyone knows that 5 year olds love police and fireman and lots of colors. This was a hit with him also! And he is such a smiley lovable grandson!Bergen is not always easy to please.... lol She had fun all night with her snuggie and loved putting her head thru the arm. Hey, it worked! Keeps the neck warm! These are big for the little ones and will be used for a long time. Perhaps when they wear out, Grammie will have to make new ones.

One of my many clowns in the family! She loved wrapping up in her warm snuggie! I heard that the 3 in this family slept with theirs! Casandra curled up on the floor with her snuggie in her brothers' room and slept all night!These pictures of Vienna opening up her snuggie are last to first, but you can see the fun and examination she gave her gift. And as I said, she was seen EVERYWHERE and in every position with this snuggie all night long!Sweetness for sweetness!!!Ryker after he saw his cousin, Carson, open up his Huskie jammies at his birthday party last month, said to grammie, "I like the Huskies too!" (I had given him camouflage jammies for his birthday which he loves). I had originally planned to make his Christmas present the football snuggie since he loves quaterbacking for his community team, but I knew that I had extra Huskie fabric and decided then and there that he and Carson would get the same ones. He was soooo delighted!!!!!! :) :) :)Andrea and Kayden had fun playing peek a boo! Andrea was very disappointed when she left to go to her dad's that she couldn't take the snuggie with her. (she tends to leave things behind) but at least she still had it when she got home and they all planned a snuggie and video night! I think her mommie wants one too! Hmm, she might get one, who knows!Chloe is my blue and green girl. I was hopeing to find something a little more fun but this still turned out great and she loves it!My oldest teenager. She is a green lover. She saw my fabric and commented on a couple (not knowing what I was going to use it for) so this was a good match for her! And she does love it! I made hers first and did put the pocket on it. I didn't on the rest. For an adult I would keep the pocket. A great place for a book, reading glasses and pen. :)Camryn's look says it all! She is going to have fun, fun, fun in hers!

Again, it was so much fun to make somthing for the kids that you could just see was being enjoyed and loved by all of them! From the youngest to the oldest! Which in this case of snuggies was 4 years old to almost 15 years old!!!! I used McCalls 5970 for all of these. I learned a lot about fleece. 1. Make sure you keep your machine cleaned out of lint because obviously fleece makes a lot!!! 2. Fleece dulls the needles. 3. Not all fleece is the same even though it is in the same section and is the same price. Some of the fleece is much plusher than others. This pattern was easy to sew. I used an overcast stitch for seams on the sleeves and for the hems I used the V overcast hem which I loved. The 3stitch zig zag stitch also works very well for the hems. I just like the finished look of the v hem. One of the granddaughters said, I wish it had a button in back.... and after some thought, I decided that some velcro would be nice. We may be able to do that and would be simple!

My heart was just filled with warmth and love this Christmas. It was so much fun doing something so very special for the kids and them just loving it, too. Making the snuggies is so worth the time and effort put in to match it to each one personally! I would do this again in a heartbeat! This wasn't just a hit; it was a HOMERUN!!!

Added note: I have talked with the kids since and the grandkids are still loving them. I was told that on the way home that night, one mom said, Buckle Up. The reply. I can't. It won't go around my snuggie. Well, take the snuggie off and put it back on when you are buckled. But I don't WANT to take it off!!!! hahaha... kids!

Monday, December 28, 2009

We had a beautiful day to drive over to Port Angeles. Mt. Baker on our right and the Olympic Mountains on our left as we crossed over the Hood Canal Bridge. We live in the most beautiful place. :)I am so truly blessed. We spent the day after Christmas with family in Port Angeles. It was such a wonderful day and this mother's heart was filled with love and warmth to be with her children and grandchildren. Everyone had a wonderful time.We played some games after we ate and after presents were opened. And after babies were fed, etc!The younger kids watched "Hook" on the TV while we played our games.Plenty of baby time to go around. Auntie Shelley holding Matthew.The girls being silly while wrapped up in their snuggies. I will address a whole other post to the snuggies! They were a HIT!!!!!!This baby will not lack for attention!And Sterling did not lack for attention either! :)My hubby just hanging out.Uncle Jonny with some baby time! God has given me one of the sweetest son in laws! What a big help he is to his wife and a great and involved dad with his girls!My brother, Jerry came for awhile. It was good to have him visit. I love my brother very much. He has not had an easy life... and we have had our differences but God has always helped us work thru those things. I sure pray for him that God will help him thru each hurdle that is in his life path.Isaac always loves to get in a picture! And he is so cute!Ben and Casandra being silly.My Daughter Tracy checking out her book of coupons. :) Delanie wrapped up in her snuggie. Tracy is a wonderful mom and I am blessed by her. I wish we lived closer so we could work on crafts together! All of us really, would enjoy that!My oldest son, Mark. He is recoupping from a hernia operation. I can still see the pain.... you know moms! Bless his heart. He and Shelley are such a blessing! Always striving to serve the Lord in all that they do.The boys being goofy. So what else is new?My youngest son with 2 of his sweeties. EVER the comedian! He also is a wonderful hubby, daddy and blessing in my heart.Shelley and Vienna chilling. My beautiful and wonderful daughter in law! Such a kind heart and love her to pieces.Opening presents is ALWAYS fun!Waiting for their turn!Batman made an appearance.I don't like posting my picture for OBVIOUS reasons, but I keep getting requests and it does help us know each other better.My other beautiful and sweet daughter in law! Mary was kind enough to host the event at her house and it worked out beautifully!This Christmas was one of my best ever. Being able to spend time with the kids, watch the grandchildren up their presents and truly enjoy them was very special. Holding my grandbabies... well that is priceless. God has truly given me a wonderful family. No, we are not perfect. FAR from it! But what love and joy and fun we have when we get together! Thank you, Lord!

About Me

I am a wife, mother of 5, and grammy to 16. I am thankful to call Christ my Savior. I am currently an unemployed office manager. :( Crafting is my love. I love to sew, crochet and scrapbook but do all kinds of crafts. If I see it and like it, I will try it. I enjoy doing quick and easy crafts for gifts. I love to send small goodies in cards to family and friends. I also enjoy riding on our HD Electra Glide. I love to cook and bake. I won't begin to tell you how many cookbooks I have collected. LOL. I love to play cards, pinochle is probably my fave! Love to spend time with my family and friends.